1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a vehicle terminal apparatus for a vehicle with a wireless communication function and an information transmitting system including the vehicle terminal for transmitting information between a predetermined station and the vehicle terminal apparatus.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A vehicle terminal apparatus for a vehicle including wireless communication circuit for communicating with a predetermined unit is known.
The aim of the present invention is to provide a superior vehicle terminal apparatus and a superior information transmitting system.
According to this invention, there is a vehicle terminal apparatus for a vehicle is provided. The vehicle terminal includes: a wireless communication circuit for providing wireless communication with a network; and a supply power control circuit for controlling supplying a power to at least one of the wireless communication circuit and a unit in the vehicle in response to a command signal.
In the vehicle terminal apparatus, the wireless communication circuit receives the command signal from the network and supplies the received command signal to the supply power control circuit when the wireless communication circuit is supplied with the power.
The vehicle terminal apparatus may further includes an operation circuit for generating the command signal in response to operation by a user to supply the command signal to the supply power control circuit.
The vehicle terminal apparatus may further include a control circuit, a timer, and a memory. The supply power control circuit supplies the power periodically in response to the timer. The control circuit responsive to the timer receives data from the unit and stores the data in the memory, the control circuit outputs the data from the memory in response to a data request signal. Moreover, the control circuit transmits the data from the memory with the wireless communication circuit in response to the data request signal. Moreover, a position detection circuit supplied with the power may be further included. The control circuit periodically operates the supply power control circuit to supply the power to the position detection circuit, receives position data from the position detection circuit, and stores the received position data in the memory in response to the timer. The control circuit transmits the data from the memory to a predetermined unit with the wireless communication circuit in response to the data request signal. Moreover, the position detection circuit includes a GPS receiver. The control circuit communicates with the predetermined unit through the network and the wireless communication circuit in response to the data request signal and receives Ephemeris data including orbit data of GPS satellites from the predetermined unit. The control circuit supplies the Ephemeris data to the position detection circuit, receives position data from the position detection circuit, and forwards the position data to the predetermined unit through the network and the wireless communication circuit.
In the vehicle terminal apparatus, the control circuit is further provided, which detects operation conditions of the wireless communication circuit and the unit. The control circuit stops supplying the power to at least one of the wireless communication circuit and the unit of which the detected operation condition is operation using the power supply control circuit in accordance with the detected conditions.
The vehicle terminal apparatus further includes a memory and a control circuit. The control circuit operates the supply power control circuit to supply the power to the unit in response to the command signal, receives data from the unit, and stores the data in the memory. The control circuit transmits the data from the memory through the wireless communication circuit in response to a data request command.
The vehicle terminal apparatus may further include a memory, a data informing circuit supplied with the power, and a start-up condition detection circuit for detecting a start-up condition of the vehicle by a user. The control circuit receives data from the predetermined unit in response to a data receiving command, stores the received data in the memory, and provides the information from the memory to the user with the data informing circuit in response to the start-up condition detection circuit.
The vehicle terminal apparatus may further include a control circuit, a memory and an error detection circuit for detecting an error in the vehicle terminal apparatus and storing data of the detected error in the memory. The control circuit transmits the data of the detected error from the memory to a predetermined unit through the network and the wireless communication circuit when the control circuit receives a data request from the predetermined unit through the network and the wireless communication circuit.
In the vehicle terminal apparatus, the power supply control circuit receives a battery power from a main battery of the vehicle to supply the power. The power supply control circuit includes a voltage detection circuit for detecting a voltage of the battery power and a comparing circuit for comparing the voltage with a reference. The power supply control circuit transmits result of the comparing circuit to a predetermined unit through the wireless communication circuit and the network.
The vehicle terminal apparatus may further include a control circuit, a timer for periodically generating a timing signal, a memory, and a start-up detection circuit for detecting a start-up operation of the vehicle. The control circuit responsive to the timer operates the supply power control circuit to supply power to the unit and supplies a position data requesting command to the unit and then, receives position data from the unit and stores the position data in the memory. The control circuit may further include a position difference detecting circuit for detecting difference from present position data to previous position data in the memory and a comparing circuit for comparing the difference with a reference. The control circuit outputs an alarm signal when the difference exceeds the reference and the start-up detection circuit detect does not detects the start-up operation between the present timing signal and the previous timing signal. Moreover, the control circuit transmits the alarm signal to the predetermined unit in response to a communication request from the predetermined unit.
The vehicle terminal apparatus may further include: a position detecting circuit for detecting a position of the vehicle terminal apparatus in response to the command signal; a data generation circuit including a memory for generating emergency data including at least identification data of the vehicle from the memory, telephone number data of a predetermined unit from the memory, and the position data in response to the command signal; a control circuit for making a call to the predetermined unit through the wireless communication circuit and the network and transmitting emergency data to a called party indicated by the called party data in response to the command signal; a start-up detection circuit for detecting a start-up condition of the vehicle. The control circuit operates the supply power control circuit to stop supplying the power to the position detecting circuit when the start-up detection circuit does not detect the start-up condition.
The vehicle terminal apparatus may further include: a position detecting circuit for detecting a position of the vehicle terminal apparatus in response to an emergency informing command signal; a data generation circuit including a memory for generating emergency data including at least identification data of the vehicle from the memory, telephone number data of a predetermined unit from the memory, and the position data in response to the emergency informing command signal; and a control circuit for making a call to the predetermined unit through the wireless communication circuit and the network and transmitting emergency data to the predetermined unit in response to the emergency informing command signal.
According to this invention, there is provided an information transmitting system including a station and vehicle terminal apparatus, and a wireless communication system. The station includes: a communication circuit; a data base; and a control terminal for reading data. The vehicle terminal apparatus includes: a wireless communication circuit for communicating with the station through the wireless network; a control circuit; a memory; an information providing circuit; and a supply power control circuit for controlling supplying a power to at least one of the wireless communication circuit and a unit in the vehicle in response to a command signal. When the control terminal receives a data search and transmitting command, the control terminal searches data in the data base in accordance with the data search and transmitting command and transmits the searched data to the vehicle terminal. When the control circuit receives the data transmitted through the wireless network and the wireless communication circuit, the control circuit stores the received data in the memory and provides the received data with the information providing circuit to a user of the vehicle terminal in response to an information providing command.
In the information transmitting system, the vehicle terminal apparatus further includes a start-up detection circuit for detecting a start-up condition of the vehicle and generating the information providing command when the start-up condition of the vehicle is detected.
According to this invention, there is provided an (emergency) information transmitting system. The information transmitting system includes a wireless telephone network, a vehicle terminal apparatus and a predetermined unit coupled to the wireless telephone network. The vehicle terminal apparatus for a vehicle includes a wireless communication circuit for providing wireless communication with the wireless telephone network; a position detecting circuit for detecting a position of the emergency informing apparatus in response to an emergency informing command signal; a supply power control circuit for controlling supplying a power to at least one of the wireless communication circuit and the position detection circuit in response to the emergency informing command signal; a data generation circuit including a memory for generating emergency data including at least identification data of the vehicle from the memory, telephone number data of a predetermined unit from the memory, and the position in response to the emergency informing command signal; and a communication circuit for making a call with the telephone number data and transmitting emergency data to the predetermined unit in response to the emergency command signal. The predetermined unit receives and outputs the emergency data from the wireless telephone network.